Marathon Server Slam kicks off for final beta ahead of March 5 launch
The Marathon Server Slam begins today, February 26 at 1 p. m. ET and runs through March 2, offering a free, open preview that will stress-test servers ahead of Marathon's March 5 launch on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.
Marathon Server Slam opens Feb. 26 for a global stress test
The Server Slam is scheduled to run from February 26 at 10 a. m. PT to March 2 at 10 a. m. PT, with those start and end times the same each day, and is available on Steam, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S with cross-play and cross-save enabled; the weekend is also part of Steam Next Fest. Bungie describes the event as a technical stress test: it will turn “everything on” worldwide and invite players to log in, crew up, infil, exfil and log out repeatedly while teams stand by to monitor performance and make adjustments during the weekend.
How the Server Slam previews the full launch
The Server Slam is a slice of Marathon rather than the full game and is intended to help spin up global infrastructure before the game's official release on Thursday, March 5. Bungie says launch and Season 1 will add additional zones, factions, contracts, gear and progression depth, and that Ranked mode will arrive in Season 1. The company also said the sixth Runner Shell, Thief, and two additional maps — Outpost and Cryo Archive — will be part of the launch plan, with some content slated for Season 1.
What’s in the weekend build
Marathon is set on Tau Ceti IV, a derelict space colony where Runners and hostile UESC security forces roam; the game’s timeline is given as the year 2893, 99 years after the events of the original Marathon game and hundreds of years since the colony’s establishment. Weekend maps will include futuristic research facilities and lush forests, and players will scavenge, fight PvE and PvP opponents and try to extract with loot — progressing toward areas such as the Cryo Archive, the first floor of the UESC Marathon orbiting above. Bungie cautions the Server Slam will not include all maps and content coming to the full game, but should provide a substantial play window over the weekend.
Rewards, streamer bonuses and the director’s 11 tips
Everyone who completes the introductory mission during the weekend will unlock a Beta. exe emblem and a Complex Study player background exclusive to Server Slam participants, and time spent during the Slam will bank loot rewards that unlock at launch on March 5: completing your first mission unlocks the Standard Arrival Cache; reaching Runner Level 10 unlocks the Enhanced Arrival Cache (Green); and reaching Runner Level 30 unlocks the Deluxe Arrival Cache (Blue). Bungie warns that cosmetic and loot rewards will be delivered once Marathon launches on March 5 and that rollout may take some time.
Streaming viewers can also snag cosmetic rewards by tuning in to channels on Twitch during the Server Slam weekend; full claiming details are posted on support pages. Ahead of the weekend, Marathon game director Joe Ziegler shared 11 tips for beginners—Game Informer edited those tips for clarity, and Forbes highlighted them—meant to give new players a foundation before launch day.
Next steps and the road to March 5
The Server Slam ends at 10 a. m. PT on March 2 (1 p. m. ET), and Bungie will use data from any issues over the weekend to make adjustments before Marathon’s launch on Thursday, March 5 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. Players who take part in the Slam are being asked to arrive on launch day ready for the dangers of Tau Ceti, and rewards earned during the weekend will be unlocked once the full game goes live on March 5.
